Cbankcabe bbeather and oil filuex



April 1, 1939. H. G. KAMRATH 2,154,072

CRANKCASE BREATHER AND OIL FILLER PIPE ASSEMBLY Filed Sept. 12., 1936 /2 A 25 I r 24 I0 l/ I /U v I 9'fiefllg' ate/my www;

iwsim messed Aj. 11, 1939 2,154,012 PATENT OFFICE OBANKOASE mama AND OIL nunms ASSEMBLY HerhertG.Kamrath,Fllnt,Hi ,alslgnor General Motors Oorporatlon, Detroit, Mich, a-

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corporation of Delaware Applloationseptcmber 1:, ms, Serial No. 100,540

' Claims. (0!, 121 -104) V This invention has to do with internal combustion engine crankcase breather and oilfiller pipe assemblies in which there are incorporated air cleaners.

4 l The principal object ofthe invention is to provide an assembly of the type referred to which is so constructed that the escape of oily vapors therethrough from the crankcase oi the engine on which it is installed is minimized and that ser- 1 vicing the air cleaner is facilitated.

For a better understanding of the nature and objects of this invention, reference is made to the following specification wherein is described the preferred embodiment of the invention which is shown in the accompanying drawing.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 shows a crankcase breather and oil filler pipe assembly in accordance with myinvention installed on an internal combustion enl 'igure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section through the crankcase breather and oil filler pipe assembly; t Figure 8 isa fragmentary view taken as indicatedbythelineHofFigureZy Figure 4 is a fragmentary view taken as indicatedbythelinel -loflligurez.

The crankcase breather and oil filler pipe assembly which is shown in the drawing includes a tube ll, an. annular filter element II which encircles an intermediate portion of the tube, and a removable cap 12 for the upper end 'of the tube. 'Ihrough-the tube ll, aboutmidway between its ends, there extend a ring of orifices ll. At a distance-below the orifices it, there is formed in the tube an annular bead ll. In the tube above the orifices l2,.t,h ere is secured the larger and of a funnel-like element "with its smaller end extending below the orifices. To the cap l2, there securedtheupperendofanoilgage r'od I whose lower end projects beyond the lower end of the tube II. V The filter element ll consists of a member I! which is shaped generally like an inverted 45, cup with an annular head II in which there are a ring of orifices I! secured over its open end and a tube whose diameter is such that it will fit snugly around the tube ll between the orifices II and the bead ll secured in the central orifice in the head II and extending into the member II." In the end 'wall of the member i1, there is a central orifice which is encircled by an upstanding split fiange 2i whose diameter is equal to that of the tube 2!. The tube 20 terminates 55 short of the end wall of the member il but there extend fromits upper and four legs 22 which are inclined toward the side wall of the member I! and whose ends engage the end wall of the member II. The annular space between the member l1, head it and the tube 20 and the 2 legs 22 is filled with a suitable liquid wetted filter medium 23 such as that disclosedinthe Webb application serial No. 752,232 which was filed on November 9, 1934.

The filter element II is assembled with the tube ll bysleeving the lower end of the tube around the upper end of the tube II and sliding the filter element downwardly until the lower end of the tube 2| is seated-on the bead ll. As the drawing shows,'the location of the orifices I! in the tube II and the dimensions of the filter element Ii are so correlated that when the lower end of the tube 20 is seated on the head It the upper end of the tube 2| is located below and the inner edge of the end wall of the member I! above the orifices ii. To hold the filter element in this position, there is provided a ring clamp it which encircles the split fiange 2|.

The crankcase breather and oil filler pipe assembly which is shown in the drawing may be installed on an internal combustion engine with the lower end of the tube ll telescoped within the oil filler pipe of the engine or, as the drawing shows, with the lower end of the tube il secured directly in an opening in the upper wall of the crankcase 25 of the engine 2!. Hie oil gage rod it is, of course,'made of such length that it will extend into the body of lubricating oil in the crankcase of the engine and aiford a means of de- 'termining the level of the oil therein.

. when the assembly is installed'in either of the mentioned ways and the-engine on which it is breather and oil filler pipe assembly conserves lubricating oil and obviates filming the engine and its surroundings with oil. I

To promote condensation of the oily vapors, it is, of course, preferable to position the assembly so that the upper end'of the tube I0 is located in a current of air. Whenrthe assembly is employed on an engine equipped with a cooling fan it may profitably be disposed so that the upper end of the tube It is located in the current of air generated by the engine cooling fan.- How long the portion of the tube above the orifices it should be to make it sufiiciently effective in condensing the oily vapors is a matter which, of course, varies with dififerent engines and installstions. For the particular engine and installation designed a length of about six inches was found satisfactory.

' for which the assembly shown in the drawing was When the engine on which the assembly is installed is operating, air is, of course, alternately drawn into and discharged from the crankcase of the engine through it. The air which enters -ll and isfreed of dirt by the filtermedium. The

air which is discharged from the crankcase follows the same path in the opposite direction and is similarly freed of entrained oil and whatever oily vapors may pass with it through the orifices l3 After the cap I! is removed and the clamp 24 loosened. the tube II and the filter element I I may be disassembled by simply sliding the latter oi! the upper end oi the former. This capability of disassembly and the ease with which it may be eifected, of course, facilitates servicing the filter element.

The supply of lubricating oil in the crankcase of an engine on which my assembly is installed may be replenished by simply removing the cap it and introducing oil into the upper end of the tube Ill. The funnel-like element II, of course. prevents any of this oil or any of the condensate from the oily vapors which rise into the upper of the tube ll escaping from the tube through the orifices I3.

I claim:

1. In an internal combustion engine, a crankcase breather in which there is included a'hollow structure into which vapors from the crankcase may rise, and a breather orifice in the hollow structure so disposed that there is beyond it in the direction of travel of vapors from the crankcase a chamber of such capacity that condensation of vapors from the crankcase to the extent necessary to obviate material loss thereof through the breather orifice may occur therein.

2. In an internal combustion engine, a crankcase breather in which there is included a hollow structure into which vapors from the crankcase may rise, a breather orifice in the hollow structure so disposed that there is beyond it in the direction of travel of vapors from the crankcase a chamber of such capacity that condensation of vapors from the crankcase to the extent necessary to obviate material loss thereof through the breather orifice may occur therein, and means for separating foreign matter from air interposed between the breather orifice and the atmosphere so that .air which leaves or enters the breather passes through said separating means.

3. In an internal combustion engine, a crankcase breather in which there is included a hollow structure into which vapors from the crankcase may rise, a breather orifice in the hollow structure so disposed that there is beyond it in the direction of travel of vapors from the crankcase a chamber of such capacity that condensation of vapors from the crankcase to the extent necessary to obviate material loss thereof through the breather orifice may occur therein, and means for separating foreign matter from air separable may rise, and a breather orifice in the tubular structure so disposed that there is above it several inches of the tubular structure in which vapors from the crankcase may be condensed. 5. In an assembly of the type disclosed, a tubular structure, a hollow annulus with filter material in it telescoped around an intermediate portion of the tubular structure so that its upper end is located well below the upper end 01' the tubular structure, an orifice in the lower wall of the hollow annulus, and an orifice in the tubular structurewhich opens into the upper end of the hollow annulus.

6. In an assembly 01' the type disclosed, a tubular structure with a closed upper end in which vapors which enter it may be condensed, an annular bead in the tubular structure well below its upper end, an open ended hollow annulus with filter material in it telescoped around an intermediate portion of the tubular structure with its lower end seated on the annular bead and its upper end well below the upper end of the tubular structure, a split fiange on the upper wall of the hollow annulus which encircles a Portion of the tubular structure, a ring clamp which encircles the flange and clamps it around the tubular structure, an orifice in the lower wall of the hollow annulus, and an orifice in the tubular structure which opens into the upper end of the hollow annulus.

7. In an assembly of the type disclosed, a tubular structure, an orifice in the tubularstructure so disposed that there is above it several inches 0! the tubular structure in which vapors which enter it may be condensed, and an annular element which is disposed below the upper end and encircles a portion of the tubular structure and overlaps the orifice in said tubularstructure.

8. In an assembly of the type disclosed, a tubular structure, an annular filter element which encircles a portion of the tubular structure well below its upper end, and an orifice in the tubular structure which opens into the filter element and is so disposed that there is above said orifice several inches of the tubular structure in which vapors which enter it may be condensed.

9. In an assembly of the type disclosed, a

' tubular structure, an annular filter element which encircles a portion of the tubular structure well below its upper end and is separable therefrom and an orifice in the tubular structure which opens into the filter element and is so disposed that there is above said orifice several inches of the tubular structure in which vapors which enter it may be condensed.

10. In an assembly of the type disclosed, a tubular structure with a closed upper end in which vapors which enter it may be condensed, an open ended annular element which encircles an intermediate portion of the tubular structure with its upper end well below the upper end of the tubular structure and an orifice which communicates with the atmosphere in it near one end, an orifice in the tubular structure which opens into the annular element near the other end thereof, and an annular flange on the last mentioned' end of the annular element which encircles and is clamped around ap rtion of the tubular structure beyond the mentioned orifice in it.

HERBERT G. KAMRA'I'H.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 2,1-5L o72. April 11, 1959.

' HERBERT G. KAMRATH.

It is 'hereb; certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numberedpatent requiring correction as follows; Page 2, second column, line 6, claim'5, after "structure" and before the comma, insert the words with a closed upper d i h h vapors which enter it maybe condensed; and that the said Letters Patent should b e read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 15th day of June, A. D. 1959.

Henry Van Arsdale (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

